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Hair Braids and Weaves Increase Risk of Hair Loss.

Certain hairstyles such as braids and weaves may increase the risk of a irreversible type of baldness called Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia (CCCA) that starts at the central part of the scalp and spreads out toward the edge of the hairline.

Traction alopecia (baldness) is caused by chronic traction (pulling) on the hair follicle and is seen most commonly in African-American females associated with tight braiding or cornrow hair styles. It is generally present along the hairline. Men who attach hairpieces to their existing hair can experience this type of permanent hair loss if the hairpiece is attached in the same location over a long period of time.

According to a study published in the Archives of Dermatology, "Any style that causes too much tension and traction on the hair....can possibly lead to scarring hair loss." The study included 326 African American women who completed a questionnaire about hair care methods and health status.

Nearly 60% of the women showed signs of advanced central hair loss with scarring. Many of these women also had Type 2 diabetes and bacterial infections, suggesting that the hair loss may be related to underlying metabolic irregularities. Women with hair loss should be given an extensive medical workup, especially for diabetes which can be controlled.

Because braiding and weaves are expensive to do, many women keep these styles for an extended period of time adding to the risk of infection. While I personally think these hairdos are often stunning and quite beautiful, most professionals dealing with hair loss advise against them, especially over long periods of time. Braiding for a special event may be okay, but release them in a few days and let your hair rest!

Comments

I always knew that these styles were damaging to the hair. I have seen them done first hand. There is a lot of pulling and hair breakage involved. It is not very comfortable either. I've heard that men and women who get cornrows and different weaves and braids of some sort often have headaches afterwards. But I had no idea that this could actually result in baldness. People say that there is always a price to pay for fashion- but is this really worth it?

Although I agree that braids can cause problems, I don't believe they are the problem. People can and should ensure that they are not done too tight and just like any hairstyle treat their braids regularly.

Scarring alopecia disease occurs symmetrically at the entrance of surface scarring, which leads to the centrifugal expansion of the lesion. Finally, the disease burns. The so-called follicular degeneration syndrome and folliculitis decalvans are both conditions that result in CCCA.

It does not surprise me, having had my hair braided on holiday it is very tight and does pull on your hair follicles, it was so sore I could only stand it for a few days so for those who keep these styles in for months on end I'm sure it is doing a lot of damage!

This is a great article. So many people lose their hair because they just don't know how to take care of their scalp. Permanent hair loss can be devastating to a woman, and its probably not something most men would be OK with either.

This is very useful information you're sharing. Many women don't realize the potential drawbacks of certain styling techniques. We're often contacted by women after they've begun experiencing hair loss, looking for advice and suggestions on how to improve their hair quality and growth using natural methods. Like one of your other commenters mentioned, the first thing we do is ask them to talk to their health care provider to rule out possible underlying medical conditions such as thyroid dysfunction, diabetes, or systemic yeast overgrowth. Then we point them towards things they can do to remove or reduce bacteria on the scalp, improve blood circulation to the scalp and nourish hair follicles.

Certain hair styles can contribute to hair loss.
You have confirmed my suspicions.
Since certain medical conditions such as anemia, diabetes, thyroidism, and genetics can cause hair loss, people with these conditions are best not to have braids and weaves.

I really hope this article to be a eye-opener for woman who rely excessively on these styling techniques, which are known to be very stressful for the scalp; don't forget that even an intensive use of hair coloring causes the follicles to weaken and may result in loss over time in women. Very good article, btw !

baldness on every person can also be caused by GENE factors, such as expressed by the A team of researchers from the University of Columbia, United States, which had found eight genes that support alopecia areata, one of the most significant cause of hair loss.

Great article. Many black women are "serial weave wearers" and never give their hair a break. What's even worse is relaxing the hair and fixing and weave straight away. Hair roots are left weak and it doesn't take a lot of extra weight on them to make them fall out.
Too many black women ignore the problem and keep wearing weaves when there are simple ways of incorporating traction alopecia treatments into their hair care regimes.

found your article very interesting and agree braided hair does look stunning at times but would worry about not being able to wash it out as nothing feels more refreshing than giving your hair a good wash

Hair weaves can be dangerous because of the pulling at the roots when they are done. It's a catch 22 because the tighter the roots are pulled the better the hairstyle looks because it creates less fly-aways. Just remember to keep conditioning the scalp and give it a rest sometimes.

Their are many things that we do to our hair that causes hair loss. There are also many other things such as blow drying, wearing hats etc. which people think is responsible for hair loss which is not true.

Any heat or harsh chemicals will always lead to hair breakage or hair loss, especially in black people as our hair is more sensitive. The myth of blac hair won't grow is certainly not true, just take a look at dreadlocks!

I agree with you that pulling hair in an extended period of time will definitely lead to some sort of hair loss. And that's what braiding and weaves exactly do.
Some women have more sensitive scalp and they should take care of their hair by leaving it in its natural state and using natural oils rich in vitamin E. And avoid as much as possible the chemically harmful hair straighters for african american women.
It doesn't hurt styling your hair for special events. But, after that, give it some love !

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The article is really informative, and it treats a subject which many of us neglect commonly. It is obvious that pulling of the hair causes hair loss, but for the sake of beauty we often forget that. Good to see that an author has taken time to present the problem and explain the need for caution. Hope there will be more information soon. Many other advisors state all sorts of different reasons for hair loss, but most of them fail to remember that this one is of essential value. Thank you for the wonderful post

All of these harsh treatments and hair styling techniques lead to damaged hair. This is a great article that proves one needs to treat their hair with care or risk permanent damage. I avoid using all harsh chemicals and instead opt for natural hair remedies.

I think anything that you do unnatural with your hair has a propensity to cause damage and this includes not only weaving but practices such as colouring or dying hair.
With practices like weaving, you weaken the hair roots and follicles and thus this study comes as no surprise

I do not have a lot of African American clients, however I have many friends in the industry who do.
I will have to share this article with them. I wasn't aware of the effects of hair braiding to this degree.
Thanks for sharing!

I'm hoping that this post reaches many more African-American women who braid their hair. In an attempt to have every hair in place, we experience a lot of unnecessary pain and toil styling our hair. knowledge is growing and will definitely liberate a lot of our sisters from hair bondage!

Great post.
It's incredible what folks nowadays do to themselves in the name of beauty in addition to the actual environmental stress factors.
Women simply should realize that they're beautiful EXACTLY how they are ;)